When Worlds Collide

Chapter 19

When Erza entered the throne room, she kept her eyes on the floor. She couldn't bring herself to look at the emperor in the eye. She couldn't bear his look of disappointment.

"Good day my lord." She said respectfully.

"Good day Erza." Makarov greeted.

"I trust that your morning as been well so far?"

"It has indeed. I took a walk in the royal gardens this morning. We have very beautiful blossoms this year. But one is a late bloomer."

"Oh?"

"It's still just a bud on the branch. However I'm sure that when it blooms it will be the most beautiful of all."

Erza looked up at the emperor and upon seeing his warm smile, she smiled as well. She knew that he was talking about her. He was trying to say that someday she would bring great honor. But she couldn't understand why? She was a disgrace.

"I guess you heard how the interview went." She said.

"I did."

"I'm sorry." Erza took the oriental comb out of her hair and placed it at the emperor's feet. "I know I disappointed you."

Makarov picked up the comb.

"You could never disappoint me Erza." He assured her. "Do you know why I gave you this comb?"

"Because it's pretty?" She joked.

"That comb belonged to my wife and I wanted you to have because you remind me so much of her."

"You must be joking. She was poised, prim, proper."

"Not when she was young." He chuckled. "When she was your age she was daring, courageous, headstrong, but had a shy and insecure streak. That streak grew stronger when we fell in love, because she wasn't sure if she'd live up to the expectations of an empress. At first she didn't live up to the expectations of a royal consort, many doubted that our betrothal would last. But I knew better, I knew she wouldn't disappoint me, and in the end she didn't."

He gently pinned the comb back in her hair.

"But that doesn't mean I won't." Erza sighed. "The headmistress called me a disgrace."

"Don't let that pompous, old biddy get to you. She knows much, but she doesn't know everything, and she hates to be reminded of that."

"Correcting her may have been disrespectful, and I truly didn't mean to offend her but...Forgive me, but I know that I did not answer her question wrong."

"Well what exactly was the question?"

"She asked me how the Great War started and I said that it was because of rumors. I know for certain that's true."

"Erza I have read all the history books in the empire and they all say that it was threats from outside our domain."

"But long ago I read ancient texts that said those threats were based on a lie. I don't know where those texts are but if I could just find them, I could-"

Suddenly they were interrupted by the beating of a drum. A signal that the council was arriving for a very important meeting with the emperor.

"We'll discuss this later." Makarov said. "Please excuse me. I have something very important that I need to attend to."

Erza left the throne room but she hid behind the large door to the hallway, listening to the conversation. She knew that she probably shouldn't eavesdrop but she believed that a meeting between the council and the emperor would be most educational.